The present invention is related generally to dental equipment and, more particularly, to portable dental equipment.
There exists a need for the delivery of dental services to individuals in remote communities, the disabled, and others who are unable to routinely visit a dental office. Dental care has been largely unavailable to such persons, at least partially because the practice of dentistry requires certain pieces of equipment that are ordinarily in the form of semipermanent fixtures in a dental office. Such equipment includes various dental drills and other handheld tools, X-ray film development and viewing facilities, grinding and polishing equipment, and supporting pneumatic and mechanical power supplies. Although none of this equipment need be large or unwieldy, there has not been previously available a compact, self-contained assembly that includes all of the necessary equipment in a container that is easily portable and which also supports such equipment in a manner conducive to its use in the field.
Accordingly, it is the object and purpose of this invention to provide a compact, portable, self-contained dental operatory.
It is also an object to provide such an operatory having pneumatic pressurization and vacuum functions as well as a mechanical power supply for driving polishing and grinding equipment. It is another object to provide a portable dental operatory having an enclosure for development of X-ray film. It is yet another object to provide a portable dental operatory having a dust hood for grinding and polishing operations. It is another object to provide a portable dental operatory having self-contained vacuum and water reservoirs.
It is also an object of this invention to provide a cabinet for such a portable dental operatory. More specifically, it is an object to provide a cabinet suitable for transporting all of the necessary equipment for routine dentistry and which also serves as a chairside dental work station. In this regard, it is a further object to provide a cabinet that supports a compressor, lighting fixtures, water and vacuum reservoirs, and other equipment necessary for the ordinary practice of dentistry. Additionally, it is an object to provide such a cabinet that further includes an enclosure for an X-ray film development chamber and for grinding and polishing operations.